Horribly Ever After
by PlotBunniesIncorporated
Summary: Once Upon A Time: the classic beginning to a magical fairy tale. Not here. These are stories for the adults who know that fairy tales aren't real and that pain exists in the world. Join the KKM characters as they discover it too. Yuuram and others. OOC.


Hi everybody! I'm back from the dead, I know. I haven't uploaded in forever and that's because this year has been the busiest of my life! I finished up high school and started college and I'm in so many academic programs that raped my summer and have consumed my time that within the last two days, I HAVE FINALLY written something! It's a KKM fix (obviously if you are reading it). It's a one shot, a very long one shot, that I considered splitting up but I was like 'merpaderp'. So, I present HORRIBLY EVER AFTER.

A bit of the prologue:

Horribly Ever After is a retelling of our classic fairy tales. They begin happily and they end happily but something always goes wrong in between. In HEA, everything is wrong from the start. There will be dark times, death, maiming, violence, and blood- because life isn't about fairies and magic pixie dust. Some will end happily, and others not. The first story is a retelling of the beloved Snow White in Blood Red.

And so they all lived...Horribly Ever After

* * *

><p><span>Blood Red<span>

**Once upon a time**

Once upon a time, in a magical kingdom called Shin Makoku, there lived a lovely couple. The couple was the ruling monarchs over the kingdom and was the most beautiful in the land. There was King Alfred and Queen Cecilie. Both had beautiful blonde hair and the clearest, most enchanting emerald green eyes.

Queen Cecilie, known as Cheri, was a most kind and gracious person. Together, they were a very lovely couple that everyone adored…until Lord Stoffell was introduced. Lord Stoffell was Cheri's brother and harbored feelings for Alfred. He was very jealous of his sister. That jealousy grew into pure fury when he discovered that Cheri was pregnant with Alfred's child.

"My love, are you ready for our ride into town?" Alfred asked as he held Cheri's hand. Cheri smiled gently as she rose from the chair set at her vanity. Her hand came to rest on her swollen stomach and nodded.

"Yes darling, let's go."

They donned their cloaks and went to the stables where the entered heir carriage. The coachman led the royal carriage into town a few miles away, through a forest, and waited until the monarchs were ready to go.

It was about three hours before sunset when they began the trek back to Blood Pledge Castle.

Elsewhere, Lord Stoffell was peering into a mirror in his room; his violet eyes were aglow in evil delight. "Raven, you may begin."

Above the carriage, high in the trees, a man with long gray hair stood with a solemn expression on his handsome face. He waved a leather glove clad hand twice and wolves raced down the mountain side.

"Honey, I think the baby's coming!" Cheri suddenly squealed. She was completely oblivious to the danger outside. So was Alfred until the coachman suddenly yelled.

"Your Majesties brace yourselves!"

Alfred peered out of the window and saw the coachman fly by him, blood splattered itself on his pale face and he turned back into the carriage to a worried Cheri.

"Honey, oh, the baby's coming!" Cheri cried as the carriage pitched to the side. Alfred held her close as the carriage tumbled down the side of the mountain. Cheri screamed as they were thrown about. Alfred gritted his teeth together as they were thrown about as dolls. The side of the carriage flew off and they flew out of it. Alfred lost his grip on his wife as he was thrown into the trees. His vision swam before he was consumed in darkness.

He awoke a few minutes later with a start. He stumbled to his legs, his leg had a large gash in it and he was bleeding but he looked for his love.

There.

There was a pile of torn wood, they were the remains of their carriage, and he stumbled towards it and passed by the body of the coachman. The wolves were gone so he was safe for now.

Under the scraps, he heard gasping and uncovered his wife. She was clutching her stomach, her green eyes were wide and unseeing as she convulsed. Blood poured from her mouth as her free hand clutched the large piece of wood that pierced her chest.

"Darling!" Alfred whispered as he fretted over her.

"The baby…the baby," she whispered weakly. Alfred shook his head wildly.

"No, you'll die."

"I know, but…the baby," She slowly reached for the dagger on his hip. He closed his eyes as tears raced down his cheeks. He grabbed it and unsheathed it before positioning it.

Cheri gasped loudly and convulsed again, writhing on the ground as their child was ripped from her womb. She fell silent when her child began to cry. Her eyes closed as she savored her last child's cry.

"A boy, we have a boy."

"Wolfram," She whispered and smiled. Alfred looked at her face and caressed it. He removed his cloak and wrapped the tiny babe in it. Wolfram was his name.

Alfred felt something grip his heart. It enveloped his heart, it was grief. He clutched the child to his chest and rose, looking around, he found the main road back to his castle.

_**MANY, many years later**_

Prince Wolfram was the not the perfect prince. He was not tall, he was not muscular, and he did not scream masculinity. No, Prince Wolfram was the perfect princess instead. He had pale skin, large bright green eyes, and beautiful flaxen blonde hair that fell in slight waves around his head. He was petit, a slim waist and long legs. He was known to be sensitive and caring with a temper that had the strongest man cowering in fear. Oh yes, this was Prince Wolfram.

All in the kingdom adored him. Except for one person, and this person hurt the prince the most.

His own father, King Alfred, never acknowledge his son. When he had returned to the castle all those years ago, he had put the young Wolfram in the care of Julia and Gisela, two healers that also doubled as his 'mothers'. His father never visited his only son. He refused to go near the nursery and never ate with the young child.

Julia and Gisela tried their best to raise the young prince. They answered all of his questions and kept him entertained, but he always knew that something was wrong.

As the prince grew, he came upon a startling discovery. He was venturing into the treasure room where he came upon many portraits of a woman and he looked exactly like her. He had known his mother's name from Julia and Gisela, but he had never seen her. While examining the portrait, he realized why his father never looked at him. It caused the king too much pain.

And so, Prince Wolfram tried his best to make his father see him as him, not his late mother. The little boy looked to be around eight and was alive with youth. It was this charm that made it easier for him to bond with his father and King Alfred began to play with young Wolfram.

"Papa, come see what I've done!" Young Wolfram joyously laughed as he ran into the study where his father was reading books. Alfred looked up and grabbed his son as he leaped from the ground. "Come see what I've done! It's glorious!" Alfred chuckled and abided to his son's wishes; he followed him outside to the gardens where a mini-replica of their castle was standing proudly. It was constructed of branches with flowers braided on. It was glorious; just as the young child claimed.

"That's amazing Wolfram!" Alfred said in astonishment as he went to examine it more.

"It's pretty!" Wolfram giggled. Alfred smiled warmly at his son. Yes, his decision was necessary.

Alfred had come to the conclusion earlier that day that his son needed two parents. Not two caregivers, as were Gisela and Julia. He had sent a letter carrier out to call on Lord Stoffell. He was the best candidate for him, he had wealth, power, influence, and…he had to admit, he was easy on the eyes.

Lord Stoffell stepped forth from the carriage he had a triumphant smile on his face. He had finally acquired his dream. He was finally going to be with Alfred. The castle staff had gathered in the courtyard, anxious to see the person who would be their next co-monarch. When they caught a glance of Stoffell, many cried foul. They knew of his jealously of his dearly departed sister and many suspected that he was the cause of her unfortunate death.

"Lord Stoffell, it's a pleasure to see you again," King Alfred greeted Stoffell smoothly as they walked a bit into the castle. "Hopefully you remember Wolfram."

The small boy emerged from the crowd; his shock of blonde hair was making him stand out.

"Hullo," He greeted in a small voice.

Stoffell smiled sweetly at his nephew. "Hello there Wolfram, I have a gift for you." He nodded towards Raven and he stepped forward. A little puppy was in his hands and Wolfram went from cautious to joyous as he took the small dog into his little hands.

"Oh thank you Uncle Stoffell!" Wolfram giggled happily as he ran away to play with his pup.

Alfred looked at his son running away before chuckling. The crowd around them dispersed and the new couple was alone.

"I thank you as well for the gift. Wolf loves animals."

"It is of no consequence," Stoffell dismissed it as they left to discuss plans of their future.

Their wedding was held a month later. It was a glorious event with close to a thousand guests. The couple was decked in black with Stoffell wearing white accents. A long black cape trailed behind the king as he held Stoffell's hand as they walked to the altar. Wolfram was dressed in blue as he stood behind his new fathers, Julia and Gisela stood next to the Prince, both had a hand on his shoulder.

The few months after were wondrous for everyone…until Stoffell's true nature was revealed.

Three months after the wedding, Alfred had contracted a mysterious disease and tragically died. As the sole ruler of Shin Makoku, Stoffell changed everything. Humans were persecuted and demons were oppressed. No one was allowed to speak ill of him or his policies, if they did, they were arrested. In the castle, the servants' living conditions had worsened and he had claimed that the reason was 'to make those pathetic fools realize how lowly they are'.

Wolfram was treated the worst. He stayed in a small room with only a bed and a dresser with one small window. He wore mere rags and was never allowed to leave the room lest it be for a bath. However, the castle staff smuggled the young prince out of his room often so he could enjoy the fresh air. Stoffell at first was irritated with this, but soon decided that since he couldn't stop it, he chose to let it be so long as he never left the castle grounds.

As the years passed, Stoffell grew to hate his nephew just as he hated his own sister. Extreme jealousy seemed to encompass him as Wolfram grew.

"WOLFRAM, GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Stoffell growled as he glared at the mirror in his bedroom. Footsteps were heard coming from down the hall and moments later, the prince appeared.

"Yes Father Stoffell," Wolfram answered meekly as he bowed in a hurried fashion.

"…," Stoffell looked at his step-son-nephew from the corner of his eye. "Isn't Lord Adelbert arriving today?"

"Yes Father Stoffell, he is."

"Then get ready," He said simply. He wouldn't not, no matter how much he despised Wolfram, be embarrassed by having him look dirty when Lord Adelbert arrived. Besides, Stoffell had his sights set on Adelbert von Grantz. He was younger than he was; he was rich, powerful, and influential. He was the perfect toy.

Later that day, Lord Adelbert von Grantz arrived. He towered over everyone and screamed power.

"Your Majesty," He fell into a bow when Stoffell stepped forward. The usurper had the decency to blush as he laughed under his breath- Wolfram would have liked to call it a giggle, but he shivered at the thought.

"Please Lord Adelbert; there is no need to be so formal."

Adelbert smirked and his golden eyes twinkled, "Of course Lord Stoffell."

"Come! You must meet my stepson! Wolfram, come forward."

From the crowd, Wolfram emerged. He had changed from his dark brown clothes into a gleaming white outfit. It consisted of white pants and a pure white shirt with a short white jacket. The jacket's sleeves had light blue accents and the pockets were light blue as well. His pants were tucked into knee high shiny black boots. Overall, the outfit outlined his petit shape and Stoffell nearly spazzed out.

Adelbert felt heat pooling _somewhere_ as his eyes feasted on the younger…MUCH YOUNGER prince.

"Prince Wolfram, it is such a _pleasure_ to see you."

Wolfram's eyes blazed a bit as he recognized the undertone. "Of course," He nodded curtly and held his hand out. Adelbert grasped the hand but retreated quickly while hissing silently. He looked at his hand and saw it was beginning to blister already. "I'm so sorry." He said with wide eyes. No he wasn't.

Gisela giggled as she whispered what had just happened to Julia. The blind healer giggled as well and they grinned; that was their Wolfram.

Once Adelbert was settled in the castle, he tried to spend as much time as possible with Wolfram, and Wolfram seemed to be attached to Gisela and Julia.

"Wolf, you must get out of here, you run the risk of getting sick if you stay in the infirmary." Julia laughed one day as Wolfram sat on a cot. The prince pouted cutely but remained in his spot.

"No, Adelbert won't leave me alone and Stoffell is being a jerk because of it."

Julia smiled softly as she reached out to stroke his hair, "Little Wolf, you can't hide behind us all of the time."

"I won't, it's just temporarily."

Gisela grinned as she stocked a cabinet, "Of course Wolfram, of course."

And so, over the weeks, Adelbert tried to make his move on the young prince and said prince's stepfather became increasingly jealous.

"Raven," Stoffell called one night. His ever-there right hand man appeared next to him instantly.

"I have a job, we got rid of my 'dearest' sister, now it seems as though we'll have to get rid of my dearest nephew."

"Of course your majesty."

"Take him into the forest and return with his heart."

"Of course your majesty," Raven disappeared.

The next day, Wolfram was prepared to ride out for a relaxing period away from the castle. Raven strode up to him in normal quiet manner.

"If the prince would not mind, may I accompany you on this ride?"

Wolfram looked at his stepfather's henchman warily. Raven had never caused him any harm, he never gave him trouble, and he was just…there. Wolfram shrugged his shoulders.

"You may come if you want." Raven nodded and retrieved his horse. Together, they set out. At first, Raven was surprised. He didn't know that the prince rode out every day without any protection whatsoever. He didn't even carry a dagger! He couldn't help but feel like a weight had been lifted. It would be easier to kill him.

After riding for about twenty minutes, they stopped to rest the horses. They were in the forest, in a small secluded spot that was surrounded by trees and had a steep slope, signifying it as the side of a mountain.

Wolfram dismounted and stretched his legs out. "Raven," he called. The older man faced him and smiled slightly. "I normally relax right here, I just enjoy nature. You may do whatever you want."

Raven nodded but thought, 'Yes, I will do whatever I want.' He fingered the dagger hidden in his cloak. He decided to wait around five minutes, hopefully that was enough time to get the prince's guard down. Sure enough, Wolfram was reclining against a tree, looking completely innocent. It was time.

Raven rose from his position on the ground and stalked over to Wolfram. From his position, he was behind the prince. The beautiful dagger glinted in the sun as he drew it from its sheath. He raised it over his head and was prepared to strike when he stepped on a twig. Wolfram's ears perked and he spun around with wide eyes. Raven scowled and lunged forward.

"Raven! What are you- AHHHHHH!" Wolfram screamed as he tumbled down the side of the mountain after dodging the older man. Raven ran down after him, quickly and silently. He stopped before the blonde one. His hair had tangled with bits of leaves in it and his emerald eyes were wide with fear. He sat up and tried to look angry. "What the hell are you doing!"

"I must follow my Lord's orders." He brought his dagger up and brought it down. He jerked to a stop however. Those eyes…were too similar to a certain someone's. Cheri flashed through his head. He had killed her…could he possibly live with killing her only child as well? He brought his hand down lamely and looked away.

"Run Prince Wolfram, I was ordered to kill you and bring your heart back. I'll kill a wild boar, but Stoffell cannot know that you live." Wolf scrambled to his feet and nodded. He prepared to run away and turned back.

"I'll return, to kill Stoffell."

"I would not expect less from you Prince."

Wolfram spared one last look and ran further into the forest. His lungs burned slightly as his legs pumped harder, moving faster. Some stray twigs and branches scratched normally flawless porcelain skin, but the Prince did not notice. All he could think about was escaping...about getting further away…and yet, he was getting closer- closer to his revenge.

Emerald eyes were warily casted about as their owner panted. There was a house in front of him, it was slightly old and in a touch of disrepair, but still livable. Darkness had fallen and Wolfram was exhausted beyond belief. Somehow, in a fashion that even astounded him, Wolfram was able to drag his tired body to the house and opened the door.

_Does someone live here?_ He thought as he scanned the area. Furniture was placed around the small living area. He could see a small kitchen not too far away as well as a hall that looked like it led to some bedrooms.

"Hello…" Wolfram called out softly. He received no answer and saw the small couch. It looked so inviting…it was just a few short steps away, with big fluffy pillows….

A small river of drool began to trickle from Wolfram's mouth and onto the fluffy pillow his head was resting on.

"Hello? Are you waking up now?"

Wolfram opened his eyes slowly and saw brown eyes that were flecked with silver.

"AHHHHHH! ARGHHHHHH!"

Wolfram screamed as he scrambled in a frenzy of shocked and frazzled nerves as he ended up falling head over heels…over the couch you love-minded chits….

A brown boot came into his line of vision and he followed the foot to a leg, and the leg to a torso, and a torso to neck, and a neck to a head, on the head was a face…of a mean looking man with sharp blue eyes.

Wolfram gasped and shot up from his position. He looked around and saw the man with the brown eyes and a boy who looked a little older than Wolfram with black hair and eyes.

_A double black, I've never seen one before._ Wolfram blinked owlishly.

The double black grinned slightly, "Hi, I'm Yuri!"

"Yuri! Don't just introduce yourself to a potential enemy!" The blue eyed male barked sharply. Yuri jumped and dropped his grin.

"But he seems a bit lost…" Yuri trailed off. He shifted nervously as Wolfram blinked and then smirked.

"Yes you wimp, if you weren't surrounded by two formidable looking men, I could've killed you. You have so many openings."

"Don't call me a wimp! And besides, you're…not here to kill anyone right? Killing is bad y'know."

Wolfram's smirked turned into a bitter smile, "No, I'm not here to kill anyone. I'm sorry if this is your house. I was tired and the door was opened…"

"Yuri! I told you to lock the door!"

"I'M SORRY GWENDAL!"

"Now, please, we have a guest. It's okay…" the brown eyed male trailed off, silently asking his question.

"Wolfram, Wolfram von Bielefeld," He said strongly, then shrunk back at Gwendal's piercing stare. The imposing man was intimidating, his body screaming power…raw power. It set Wolfram's nerves on end.

"Prince Wolfram, you're Prince Wolfram!" Yuri said happily as he rushed up to the blond and peered at him. Emerald eyes widened, not only at the sudden invasion of personal space, but also at the amount of power he felt rolling off of Yuri at this close range. It was understandable that he couldn't sense it before, but now that Yuri was close, he could tell that he rivaled Wolfram's power.

_Oh my, what did I get myself into?_

Yuri glanced at the sleeping blonde once more in a mixture of awe and curiosity. Wolfram's beauty was breath taking to him but the reason why he wasn't at the castle evaded him.

It had been about an hour since their return home and they had prepared dinner and set up a make-shift bed for their unexpected guest. It had taken them a quite a few minutes to convince Gwendal to allow Wolf to stay and Yuri thanked every lucky star that Conrad was SO persuasive. He rested on his hand in his bed as his black eyes casted over to the sleeping Gwendal and Conrad on the other side. Gwendal still looked pissed, even in his sleep.

Yuri sighed as he stretched out his body and lay down. He decided to get _some_ sleep since he was probably going to be worked to death by Gwendal come dawn.

Gwendal was the first to rise the next morn. As usual, a scowl marred his would-be handsome face. His sapphire eyes were narrowed to serpentine slits, jetting in between Yuri and Wolfram.

'That bumbling idiot,' He growled mentally. Everything unfortunate that ever happened to happen- he blamed it on Yuri. Yes, he nodded his head in affirmation; it was all Yuri's fault. 'Fucking imbecile,' he growled as he set the chair Yuri stumbled over in its correct place.

Conrad woke up next, "Gwendal, what do you suppose we do with the prince."

"Throw him in the woods."

"Gwendal," a disapproving frown marred the brune's face, "We cannot do that. At least, we can't until we figure out why he's here in the first place. What if someone is looking for him?"

"Then they'll find him once he's out in the woods."

"Gwendal, I'm shocked!"

Gwendal let out a sound that was a cross between a groan and a growl. "Very well, we'll ask him when he wakes up."

Yuri woke up third and began to beg for forgiveness, "I'm sorry Gwendal, I'll do whatever you want me to do!"

"Get up!"

Yuri shut up immediately and got up off the ground. They sat on the couch and waited until the prince woke up. Soon, emerald eyes slowly opened.

"What the hell…?"

He sat up in no rush and peered at Gwendal, "You look angry."

Conrad smiled and placed a hand on Gwendal's arm, "Now, now Gwendal, relax."

"What are you doing here?"

'To the point as always,' Yuri thought lamely.

"I ran away from the castle after my step-father tried to assassinate me."

"King Stoffell would do such a thing?" Yuri admonished.

"I don't see why not, he's always been rumored to be jealous. That's why people say he killed her majesty."

Wolfram shot up, "What was that!" His eyes were narrowed dangerously, though everyone could tell that the anger was just a cover-up.

"Her majesty, Stoffell was speculated of killing her the day you were born."

Wolfram bowed his head, his eyes wide in surprise. His long bangs casted a shadow over his face as his shoulders shook slightly. A disbelieving smile was tugging at the corners of his pale pink lips. "Father...never…nothing…he never said anything to me about that. I mean…I should know that right? My own step-father…he killed his own sister?" He looked up at that moment. Crystal tears flowed down to the soft fabric of his seat and his eyes were of the brightest shade.

Yuri scooted over the distraught boy and patted his head, "It isn't a proven fact, y'know? They're just rumors spreading around."

"But every rumor has some truth in it."

"Conrad, you aren't helping," Yuri threw him a warning glance as Wolfram began to cry harder.

"Sorry," He looked sheepish and leaned back in his seat.

"Regardless, what did he try to do?"

"He sent his henchman, Raven, to ride with me with on my daily ride. When we stopped, he snuck up behind me and tried to stab me. He stopped…and told me to run away…but, knowing that my own step-father would do that," he paused and leaned into Yuri slightly. "I vowed to get revenge on him…I will."

"We shouldn't worry about that now; you have some cuts and bruises to attend to. After that, we'll see if we can help you in anyway."

Stoffell smiled sinisterly as he peered at the heart on the silver platter before him.

"I see Raven, thank you for a job well _executed_."

Raven remained neutral as he bowed and left the throne room in quick, long strides. Stoffell's lavender eyes were casted to the side as he watched his new pet, Lord Adelbert, shift uncomfortably.

"Is something wrong Adelbert?"

"Eh, no," he swallowed nervously. He felt sick to his stomach. The remains of that morning's breakfast were dying to say 'hello' to the world again and Adelbert felt as though he was on the losing side that battle.

'Oh god, please don't make that be Wolfram's _actual_ heart.'

"Adelbert, if you need me, I'll be in my chambers- just remember to knock." The tyrant rose and, in a flourish of expensive and brightly colored fabric, left the large hall.

Once he arrived at his door, his eyes shifted down either end of the hall. He smiled like a fox when no one was seen and scurried in like a roach. He threw the white curtain off of his dearest possession- the one thing of actual value he brought with him initially. The large, jewel encrusted, antique mirror stood seven feet tall with elaborate gold vines curling around. The flowers that budded from the vines and an assortment of jewels, some were diamonds, others were emeralds (Stoffell growled at the thought of his 'late' step-son), others were sapphire. The glass of the mirror was obsidian black; there was neither a reflection of him nor light.

"My friend, Soushu, what do you see for me today? Who's the most attractive man in the land?"

A shadowy figure of a thin but lightly muscled man appeared, his red tinted lips were upturned in a sarcastic smile. "Of course you would want to know."

The figure disappeared in a swirl of red and black. The black mist began to clear and a forest was visible. A small creek trickled through the foliage and Stoffell growled menacingly.

"What the fuck! He's still alive!"

Wolfram was sitting by the bank, three canteens were next to him and he was filling one up. Water glistened off of his gold hair as he hummed gently.

"Who is the next attractive one in the land?"

The image changed to a double black boy, who looked only a year or two older than Wolfram. He too was in the forest and an axe was resting securely in his hands. Sweat dripped down his nose as his black hair was matted to his forehead.

Stoffell recovered from his momentary shock to scream once more, "And the next!"

A man with dark gray- nearly black- hair was organizing some paper. He had a strong build and a stern face. Stoffell gasped when the man's dark blue eyes seemed to look straight at him.

"Who is after this one?"

A man with brown hair and brown and silver eyes was smiling gently as he chopped a few branches off of a tree. He was humming to a tune, much like Wolfram.

"And who is fifth?"

Another man appeared, "Seriously, Gunter is more attractive than I am?"

Soushu appeared once more with a 'do-I-like-I'm-fucking-you-over' look.

Stoffell was flushed with anger, "Who, then, is the ugliest man in the land?"

The mirror turned into a regular mirror and Stoffell gasped as he saw himself in the mirror. "Soushu, do not EVER show me my real reflection!"

Soushu cackled as he retreated into his seemingly never ending sleep. And that left Stoffell in quite the bitchy mood.

"Why is that bastard still alive! RAVEN," He roared. The solemn figure appeared in an instant.

"Yes your highness," He spoke slowly.

"Wolfram is still alive."

'Oh shit,' Raven thought. His eyes widened as a shiver raced through his body at a shocking speed.

"If his heart still beats within its cage, whose heart did you give me?"

"…," Raven hesitated.

"WHO'S HEART DID YOU GIVE ME!"

"A boar's heart sir," Raven finally said after another moment.

"Why?"

"I could not carry out the task. I had managed to make him fall, but…when he looked at me, all I saw was Cheri. I took her life, but I could not take her son's."

"I don't care if felt guilty about her death! I ordered you to kill Wolfram- he's a threat to me."

"I understand."

"Now, go, and kill him AGAIN."

Raven left the room and closed the door. He closed his eyes as a feeling of guilt, dread…every negative emotion a person could feel…swept through him like-like, he didn't even know. But it made his knees buckle and he leaned against the door.

Wolfram looked up when Yuri stepped up to him. He silently handed him a canteen and Yuri smiled before nodding thanks.

"Is there anything else I can do around here! I feel useless!" Wolfram pouted cutely.

"You can cook," Yuri said jokingly.

"I can do that! Our cook has been teaching me secretly forever!"

Yuri blinked, "Okay, you can cook for us."

Wolfram beamed, "Okay, I'm going to look to for some food."

"Be careful of the mushrooms you pick."

"I hate mushrooms."

Yuri chuckled and got up. He gathered the other canteens to give to Conrad and Gwendal and went to find them.

"Where is Wolfram?"

"He's gathering food. Apparently, he can cook."

"Did you tell him about the mushrooms?"

"He hates them."

Wolfram was determined to find some really tasty herbs to season the stew he was preparing to cook for dinner that night. He had looked in the kitchen earlier and was disappointed when he found some bland seasonings. Time to change that he decided to himself and when Yuri approved of him cooking the dinner that night he saw it as his chance to finally be productive. These men had been so nice to him- he had to return the favor somehow.

The blond found some herbs he recognize and knelt down to pick some. So far so good, he continued on his trek. The little basket he brought along was nearly filled within the hour. He also had some wildly grown vegetables in there and some berries he knew he could put in to sweeten the originally bitter stew.

Wolfram lent down to take a sip from a crystal clear creek when he heard something approaching. As he looked up, he spat up some water. Before him was an old woman, horribly disfigured with gnarled yellow teeth that were grinding together, stringy white hair and one violet eye- the other was a cloudy light blue color. Warts covered her face and seemed to emphasize her wrinkles.

"Hello there, aren't you pretty?"

Wolfram cringed eternally at her voice, it sounded like metal grinding against a jagged rock. "May I help you?" He asked, trying to sound diplomatic.

"Yes," She crooned, "I came here to pick some fruits but I seemed to have picked too many. I was going to throw them back to the forest but I figured why waste them when I saw you. Would you like some?"

Wolfram mulled over this for a few, he could make a dessert out of them. "Sure, I can think of something to make out of it." He shrugged and smiled a bit.

She brought a few apples out and handed them over. She took out another and gave him the last one and grinned. "Why don't you taste it? I had one and it was absolutely delicious."

Wolfram shrugged again, the apple _did_ look rather appetizing. He rubbed it on his shirt for a moment to clean off any invisible specks of dirt and then bit into it. Sweetness like he had never experienced rushed into his mouth as the juices dripped down his chin. He unintentionally let out a moan of pleasure and his eyes fluttered close. When he opened them again, he wondered when he had originally closed them. The apple dropped from his hand and his hands flew to his mouth. Before him stood his arch nemesis.

"Stoffell! What-!" Wolfram did not finish his question. The world tilted sharply on its axis for him and his emerald eyes rolled to the back of his head. He landed with a solid thump and a splash into the creek. Water ran through his gold locks. Stoffell watched as the water soon gained a pink tinge to it. It appeared that the young prince hit his head rather sharply on a rock. The older man kicked the younger to ensure that he was dead then walked away with a smirk on his face. His plan had worked better than he had anticipated.

"Yuri," Conrad called softly, it was nearing dinner and their newest member had not returned yet. "Where is Wolfram?"

"I-He said he would be back soon when he left." Yuri paused, "I'm not sure, but I can go look for him."

"No, I'll go," Gwendal said gruffly, "Hopefully on the walk back I can teach him a few things about living with us…that is, if he hasn't run away already."

"But he said he was going to cook for us!" Yuri cried.

"You're an idiot," Gwendal frowned, his eyebrows twitching. "That could have easily been an excuse to sneak away. Nevertheless, I'm off." He walked out of the door briskly, letting said door slam behind him as a testament to how pissed he was.

Yuri and Conrad shared a concerned look. They both like Wolfram and they did not want Gwendal to anything that could hurt the petit blond.

Gwendal stomped on some leaves and branches as he looked for the blond idiot. Everyone appeared to be idiots these days. He came upon a creek and decided that he could use the constant bubbling of the water to calm him. He ventured closer and saw a glimpse of something the color of the fairest skin. He pushed back a bit of the foliage blocking his full view and swore.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed as he rushed to Wolfram's side. His lips were a bit blue and his skin had wrinkled a bit, a testament to how long he had been there. His body was shivering in the cold water. The larger, dark haired man picked him up and checked to make sure he was breathing. It was shallow, but without a doubt there. He picked him up bridal style and walked at a brisk pace (because Gwendal does _not_ run) back to the house. He kicked the door in and called for Conrad.

"What happened?"

"He's been in the water for a while now. I don't know if he's susceptible to hypothermia but we need to dry him off."

They sat him on the bed and begin to use towels to dry him. Neither noticed that Yuri had come down and was handing them towels. He did not speak for he was morbidly fascinated with the seizing body before him. Wolfram wheezed something awful before his eyes snapped open. The temperature around everybody increased dramatically and sweat began to bead on their foreheads. His skin regained its color before turning an ugly red and he began to gasp. Gwendal tried to touch Wolfram, but hissed as his hands were burned. Flames burst out of seemingly nowhere and licked at the blond, burning his clothes yet never burning his flesh.

"What do we do?" Conrad asked calmly. Inside, he was scared. This was some magic he had never dealt with…as in…he did not know magic even existed.

Yuri's eyes shifted side to side nervously as he worried his bottom lip. His hands curled into his shirt.

"Move aside, I can help," Yuri said as he stepped forward. He had been trying to keep this a secret from the two older men for as long as possible, but with the current situation- he had no choice. He knelt down and closed his eyes and concentrated. Water began to collect out of the air and form large orbs. Hissing could be heard as the orbs formed small serpents. They wrapped around the small male and his fighting stopped as the serpents bit into his neck.

"Wha-what are you?" Gwendal asked quietly when all became silent. Yuri looked at Wolfram once more to make sure he was subdued properly. The serpents continued suck at his neck and he watched as their clear bodies turned a sickly green in color- an indicator of poison.

"I'm a mazoku," Yuri said simply.

"A demon?" Conrad asked, clearly shocked. Those creatures were only things of myth right? He voiced those thoughts out loud and Yuri looked at him. His black eyes were no longer round and innocent, but narrow, dark, and sharp. The pupils were slits, piercing into Conrad without an ounce of remorse.

"We exist. Wolfram's parents must have been mazoku and hid it if he has the little control over his powers."

"Why did you not tell us?"

"After Stoffell came to power, he passed a law that affects only mazoku. We had to go into hiding. I just found you two and…never said anything in fear that you might report me. I guess in the end, I was so used to living as a human."

"What are you doing to him?"

Yuri now looked at Gwendal, "My serpents are sucking any toxins out of him. You see that they are black now. The poison in him was very potent." He nodded towards the black and bulging serpents. His eyes narrowed and he flicked his wrist. The serpents pulled away and flew into the fireplace. A loud cackle was heard and a light gray smoke rose from the hearth but the fire was burning stronger than before. "It's purifying the poison," he offered as a simple explanation.

"So," Gwendal started to fill in the awkward silence, something that was very un-Gwendal of him to do. "How old you _really_?"

"One hundred and twenty two."

"What the fuck?" Conrad fell out of his chair.

Yuri chuckled, "Wolfram should be looking like a baby still but it seems his parents placed a limiter on him."

"A limiter?"

"It doesn't limit anything, really. It just speeds up the aging of a demon so they can look and act like the rest of the human race."

"If we remove it?"

"Nothing will happen. What's done is done."

Wolfram groaned as his eyes fluttered. He felt so warm and he clawed at his shirt, only to realize he didn't have one. He shot up and looked around in a panic.

"Wolfram! You're up!" Yuri smiled, his eyes once more wide and innocent.

"STOFFELL!" Wolfram shrieked as he clung to Yuri.

"What about him?" Conrad asked.

"He-he found me! He was disguised as a woman and gave me this apple! When I bit it, it was he! And then, everything went black."

"You passed out, I found you hours later in the creek."

Wolfram looked at Gwendal over Yuri's shoulder. Yuri had his arms wrapped around the petit man's waist, rubbing circles in the small of his back. Gwendal couldn't see it from where he was, but Conrad could and he raised an eyebrow at that. Wolfram let his head fall on the double black's shoulder, he sighed deeply.

"I-I don't think I can stay here. He knows I'm staying somewhere near the creek. It's only a matter of time before he finds you and he might hurt you," he shook his head, "I know he's going to hurt you. He killed my father, I'm sure of that, that and he also killed my mother, I'm positive."

"We can handle ourselves, but we know that you need our help to escape him."

"Thank you Conrad."

"You're a mazoku," Yuri began. He and Wolfram were outside later the next day. It was considerably warm inside for the blond and he needed some cool air. They were a few hundred yards from the house, away from prying eyes and open ears. There was a large oak tree that once stood there but it was cut down and the boys used the stump as a seat. It was large enough to fit them but not without them touching.

Wolfram leant his head down. "I am. Father never wanted me to know. But, when I was younger, I accidently singed my pants and Julia told me why. I tried to keep it a secret but," he looked at his small hands, "I don't have much control over it. When I get mad my hands heat up to be real hot and I burn people." He sighed, "How did you know?"

"I'm a mazoku too," Yuri gave him a half-smile. "I'm a water element. My serpents drew the poison out of you last night. I had to expose myself to Gwendal and Conrad but…I saved you."

Wolfram blushed, "WIMP! Don't say things like that!"

"It's true!" Yuri laughed. He grabbed Wolfram's hand and squeezed it, "But I am serious, I am happy that I saved you."

"Why?" Wolfram looked into his eyes. A part of him realized that this was just like a scene in one of Julia's many romantic novels that she read all of the time in the raised alphabet.

Yuri leaned onto his knees and rested his forehead against Wolfram's, "I want you to achieve your goals, to live, but most importantly, I," a kiss to Wolfram's cheek, "like," another kiss, "you," he kissed the blond on his lips. It was a chaste kiss that lasted all but two seconds. When he pulled away, Yuri was blushing deeply. Wolfram looked like he was about to die. He scooted closer to Yuri and entwined their fingers when he realized they were still holding hands.

"I like you too, wimp," Wolfram chuckled. He pecked Yuri once more and rested his head on his shoulder.

Unknown to the new couple, Conrad was watching them behind a tree with a puzzling look on his face. Wolfram had been here for about four days and he and Yuri were now in a relationship?

He shook his head and decided that that night he would give Yuri a stern talking to.

Conrad had called Yuri after dinner and asked if he could speak with him. The double black nodded and followed behind him.

"I saw you and Wolfram earlier today," he started once they were far enough from everyone.

Yuri blushed, "How much did you see?"

"All of it. I'm a bit worried," At Yuri's wide-eyed look, the brunet waved his hands, "I'm happy for you but I feel like you're rushing into it just a bit. He's only been here for four days and I feel like you're going in over your head."

"I can respect that," Yuri said slowly, "but I do like him…and I want what's best for him."

"Just…be careful, you know."

"I will, thanks."

The two walked back to the house where Gwendal was going over some letters and Wolfram was curled in Yuri's bed, sleeping. Gwendal was frowning deeply once more as he looked at Conrad.

"I'm not dealing with those two things over there," He jerked a thumb in Wolfram and Yuri's direction. "I can't take them anymore."

"No worries Gwendal," Conrad reassured him.

At some point during the night, Yuri had fallen asleep on the couch. He did not want to sleep in the same as Wolfram…yet. They had barely begun their relationship and he did not want to 'jump the gun' sort to speak. However, Wolfram had awoken and saw Yuri. He crawled on top of him with a blanket and the two shared the couch. Gwendal had a spaz attack the next morning when he saw the two of them embracing each other tightly, their lips close to touching. He stomped his foot and the two jumped apart at the sound of the pots rattling.

"Yuri, go collect more fire wood, it's approaching winter and we need to stock up on it! Wolfram, start cleaning the house! It's a mess!" He barked. The two ran around panicking before getting started on their jobs. Conrad joined him with a serene smile on his face. He stated that he thought they looked cute together and Gwendal snapped at him to go _do something not involving me seeing you_.

Wolfram cursed under his breath as he was outside, beating a rug. His body was not made for this. He was a prince…or ex-prince now that he thought about it. Regardless, he was not cut out to lift anything more than two figures. Here he was, lifting two arms and heavy metal rod with an even heavier head on it. Over and over again. Sweat ran down his face and he wheezed as a puff of dust smacked him in the face. His arms shook and he fell to the ground in a heap.

"Damn Gwendal," He growled as he tried moving his fingers.

"Damn you," A voice growled.

Wolfram's head shot up along with his body. "Stoffell! What do you want!" He shouted.

Stoffell did not say anything. Behind him, the blond could see Raven looking at him with a pleading look. 'Run' he was mouthing. Wolfram looked back to Stoffell to see him gone. Raven was looking past him with wide eyes. Wolfram spun around but ducked as Stoffell swung at him.

"It seems that you just won't die! I had Raven _try_ to kill you but he let you go. Raven! This is how you _properly_ kill someone!" Stoffell laughed crazily as he swung again. His dagger glinted in the noon sun and Wolfram was nearly blinded by it. A sharp hit against his temple had him staggering but he was still standing. He gritted his teeth and continued dodging.

Stoffell mumbled something under his breath and a gust of wind had Wolfram slamming into a tree. His breath hitched and his vision swam.

'No!' He thought to himself as he fell forward. He put his arms out to brace himself but they shook and collapsed under his weight. 'I can't let him…kill me. Not…until I avenge mother and father. No!' He grunted and felt the anger rise within him. His eyes were closed so he did not notice the smoke rising from his hands. Rage bubbled deep in his chest, making its way up his throat.

Stoffell stopped to see if the younger male was going to move. He took one step when Wolfram let out a fierce yell. Fire sprang from his hands and formed two giant lions that lunged and the dictator. Stoffell's violet eyes widened before he summoned a gust of wind to shield himself. The lions dissipated for while they were powerful, their master was weak. Wolfram lost consciousness and his muscles relaxed. Stoffell smiled and went over to finish the job but Raven jumped in front of the boy.

"Please, milord," Raven pleaded. Stoffell grunted and pushed him aside.

"We wouldn't be doing this if you had done your job correctly, now would we?"

Raven looked away, "He's a child."

"That will grow into a threat."

"Milord," Raven began but Stoffell silenced him with a vicious slash across the throat. Raven gasped, instantly choking on his own blood. He fell to his knees, twitching slightly as the life left him.

"I've always wanted to see the man that made my life a living Hell," a low voice drawled. Stoffell whipped around to see a youth standing behind him. Sharp, black serpentine eyes glared at him yet his mouth was drawn into a smirk. Wavy black hair flowed around his head and tumbled around his shoulders.

"Who are you?"

"Yuri," He said curtly. His smirk morphed into a grin that sent chills down the blond haired man's spine. The face seemed oddly familiar but he had no idea why. "Of the Shibuya family," The double black added casually.

The Shibuyas! Stoffell gasped at the youth. His father was a trusted advisor of his sister and one of the first people to fall under the new law oppressing Mazoku. Shouma Shibuya had refused to back down and once Alfred died, he passed as well under an execution order from Stoffell. His wife and children escaped though and went into hiding. With good reason.

The title of Maoh was normally passed from parent to child but sometimes the Original King would select a new Maoh himself from a different family. Yuri was chosen to be Maoh after Cheri. To have him stand before him, Stoffell felt this was an act of providence. He could get rid of his annoying nephew and secure his place on the thrown.

He voiced these thoughts out loud.

Yuri laughed at that, "Let me rephrase my introduction. My other self is Yuri. I am another part of him. He calls me the Maoh. One day we will merge together so he can achieve his full potential. Until then, I am simply a manifestation of his power. As such, you cannot beat me." He smirked. His voice trailed off with a purr at the thought of crushing the man before him. "Also, I won't allow you to harm my lover any more than you have."

"Lover?" Stoffell looked between Wolfram and 'the Maoh'. That whore, Stoffell barely let the thought past.

"Yes," The Maoh stated in a sultry voice. "But let us please carry on."

Two giant water serpents flew from behind the Maoh at a high speed. An eerie whistling sound was the only warning Stoffell got before a force like he had never felt slammed into him. He could feel his bones bend to their breaking point as the serpents combined into one and drove him into the air before slamming him into the ground. Water rained down upon his bleeding and twitching form as he writhed in pain. Screams tore from his throat as the serpents divided and then split again until there were eight. They continuously drove into his body without mercy. The Maoh walked over to Wolfram and picked him up, cradling him gently. His hair shortened as Yuri took over once again.

"Wolfram, please wake up."

Green eyes fluttered open. "I feel like this keeps happening," He said with a wry smile, referencing the fact that he kept passing out somehow.

Yuri chuckled and kissed his brow. "Are you alright?"

"My backs hurts like a mother," He groaned as Yuri sat him up. He looked off to the side when he heard rushing water and saw the serpents driving something into the ground.

"What is that?" He asked, pointing to the crater.

"Stoffell," Yuri growled, holding Wolfram closer.

"Is he dead?"

"No, we felt that it would be your choice whether or not he dies."

"'We'?"

"The Maoh and I."

"I feel like you're hiding so many secrets from me. But in time," Wolfram looked into Yuri's wide eyes and saw his left eye sharpen and his pupil turned into a slit, "I shall find out all," Wolfram smiled ruefully and pecked him.

Hurried footsteps were heard as Gwendal and Conrad rushed to the back of the house. They had gone out hunting and when they returned, they two heard the sound of rushing water.

"What the hell happened?" Gwendal frowned.

"You are _so_ late."

"What happened?" Conrad asked gently.

"Stoffell came after Wolfram again," Yuri said as he motioned for the serpents to bring over the monarch's unconscious body. "I'm leaving his fate in Wolfram's hands." Wolfram took his head off of Yuri's shoulder and glared at the bruised, beaten, and bloody body.

"He's going to die."

Wolfram insisted that they bring Stoffell back to the castle. Yuri, Gwendal and Conrad were reluctant. Gwendal and Conrad had never been to that part of the country and Yuri feared that the priestesses there would recognize him and force him to take power. It took about four days for Wolfram to get anywhere with them.

The night before they headed off, Yuri explained everything to everyone and Wolfram accepted it easily. He vaguely remembered Shouma from when they were very little. After Alfred started playing with Wolfram, Shouma did not make much of an appearance. He had his own family and duties and Wolfram's world began revolving around his father. Wolfram accepted it easily that he was to be the next king and this sealed Yuri's fate for the blond claimed that since he _knew_ he was the next Maoh, he _had_ to return.

The next morning they set out. Yuri had two serpents carry Stoffell (who was still knocked out) the whole trip as they rode out on horses. It was late morning when they reached the castle. The guards were surprised to see their prince, who Stoffell claimed had passed in a tragic riding accident, riding on a horse. Fairly muscular arms were wrapped around the prince's waist and those arms were connected to a young double-black man. Next to their horse were two others. One carried a large man while long ash black hair and startling blue eyes and a gentle faced brown haired, brown-eyed man. Behind them were two large water serpents carrying the body of Stoffell.

"Open the gates!" Wolfram snapped. Yuri tightened his grip on Wolfram's petite waist. He did not want him to over exert himself. He was still healing after all.

The gates were opened and they rode in. Wolfram dismounted with a grimace and Gisela and Julia ran out.

"Wolfram!" They cried as they embraced him. "We all thought you were dead!" Gisela began worrying over him, brushing his hair out of his face and rubbing his cheeks.

"Gisela please!" Wolfram groaned, a blush staining his cheeks.

Conrad watched as the white haired woman with the milky eyes also petted Wolfram and kissed his cheek. It struck Conrad how the two women dawdled on the blond. It was not as if they were lovers of him but like they were his mothers. He looked at Yuri out of the corner of his eyes and saw him smiling softly. He turned his eyes make to the three in front of him and saw Gisela shift her gaze to Yuri.

"Sh-Shibuya?" She stuttered.

"Hello, Gisela isn't it?"

"YURI!" Gisela ran over to Yuri and started checking to make sure he was okay, much like she had done with Wolfram. "It's been years since I've seen you! How have you been? Oh my Shinou! Look at how you've grown!"

Julia looked over to them and smiled. With Wolfram's aid she walked over and grabbed Yuri and brought him into a bone-crushing hug.

"I've missed you Yuri." She whispered. Yuri smiled and hugged her back. Now that he was here, so many memories came rushing back from when he was younger. Those were happier times that soon turned painful when he remembered _why_ they had to run and hide. Yuri remembered Gisela who scared the living shit out of him and Julia was the one woman who did not scare him-excluding his own mother. Julia taught him so many things and he had _really_ missed her now that she was in front of him.

Wolfram looked at Gwendal and Conrad who were standing in the courtyard awkwardly.

"Gisela, Julia, this is Conrad and this is Gwendal. They and Yuri sheltered me when Stoffell tried to kill me the first time."

Gisela walked over to them and bowed, "Thank you so much for keeping our Wolfram and Yuri safe!" Julia nodded in agreement.

"The Kingdom would have suffered great losses without your generosity and bravery."

Conrad blushed a little at her words and Gwendal's eyebrow twitched when he saw this.

"What are you planning on doing with Stoffell's body?" Julia asked, looking directly at Yuri's serpents.

"He's still alive," Yuri interjected.

"We're going to put him in the cells until he's fully healed," Wolfram spoke. His eyes darkened to nearly black, "Then I'll deal with him."

"How?"

"Don't worry about it, Julia." The blind woman swallowed, she had never heard Wolfram speak in such a tone.

Stoffell was attended to by some of the healers while the Gisela and Julia checked over Wolfram. He had a lot of bruising and Julia clucked her tongue every time her powers brushed up against a new bruise. Within seconds the only sound in the room was the constant clucking of her tongue. Wolfram huffed again. He felt her cold hands stop over his heart and her sharp intake of breath.

"What's wrong?"

"Your powers. Have you used them?"

Wolfram thought back and the image of the ground flashed in his mind. He remembered feeling so determined and he had felt so much hatred. An unbearable heat had swept through him and then everything went black.

"I think I may have, when Stoffell came. I don't remember much except a burst of heat."

"Your powers are releasing from the limiter. I can place another one."

"I kind of want…want to learn about them. You said I got them from my father, right?"

"Yes," Julia looked where she knew his face would be.

"I want to be like him, just a little bit, and learn how to use my gift."

"I can teach you what I know," she smiled softly. "For now, you need to heal."

"I know," Wolfram huffed.

After that, Julia finished up and let Wolfram redress. When she heard the rustling stop, she swung her head over and grinned at him. She wiggled her eyebrows and Wolfram dreaded the words that were going to come from her.

"I can sense Yuri's power practically covering you. What's up between you two?"

Wolfram flushed. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, crazy woman!"

"You know that I know that you know that I already know, but I want you to _say_ it!" She grinned like a wolf.

"We…" Wolfram flushed even more and Julia could feel the heat from his face. "We have entered a relationship. But it's really fast and new and…and…yeah."

"How new is new?"

"Less than a week," Wolfram mumbled. Julia squealed and hugged him.

"If your mother could see you," She said softly and Wolfram hugged her back.

"I know she can."

Julia pulled back and brushed his hair back. She smiled gently and kissed his forehead.

"My baby," she mouthed into his hair. He smiled as he recognized what she said.

Yuri was with Gisela who was making sure his powers had not hurt him in any way.

"So, have you and Wolfram done anything?" Gisela asked slyly once they were done. They were talking about the seemingly budding romance. Yuri's face was bright red.

"What's that supposed to mean? It's been less than a week!"

"That's plenty of time to do things!"

"GISELA!"

Gisela cackled. "Just be careful with him. After whatever Wolfram's planning on doing with Stoffell, I have a feeling that the throne will be unoccupied and you _will_ have to take over. People are going to expect you and Wolfram to go public as the new Maoh and the former Prince."

"Are you insinuating that we'll get married?"

"Maybe," Gisela shrugged. "In history, when there's been a new Maoh, a relative of the former Maoh normally marries them. It's why the Maoh's family is so powerful."

"But Wolfram…I don't think he would want to be labeled as someone's wife."

"That's what he'll be, especially if he has to bear _your_ children."

"The hell!" Yuri shouted, his face a scarlet shade.

"I know you haven't forgotten my dear father's lessons!" Gisela laughed.

"Aw come on!" Yuri groaned. He smacked his hand onto the forehead and fell back onto the examination table. "Let's get through the next hour, you can forget about the next thirty years!"

Gisela cackled once more at his misfortune.

Dinner that night was held in the smaller dining hall that Wolfram and Yuri had not been in since they were little. Memories swept through the both of them and they held hands as they sat next to each other. The servants brought the food in with large smiles on their faces.

The whole atmosphere of the castle had improved since their return earlier that day. They were glad to have their prince and their next Maoh back. Plus the two guests were also nice and were not troublesome at all. They were seated in a circle together and were idly chatting.

Conrad kept sneaking glances over to Julia and Gisela caught him once. She grinned and nudged Julia.

"Do you see Mr. Conrad stealing glances at you?" She whispered. Julia turned to her sharply and jabbed a finger in the direction of her sightless eyes.

"Why yes, yes I do!" She groused.

"Sorry!" Gisela squeaked. "I always forget that!"

Julia waved a hand in dismissal, "What about him looking at me?" She leaned closer and whispered.

"He keeps looking at you when he thinks no one is looking. He's so cute with that!"

Julia blushed lightly. "Oh my," she breathed. It was the first time she had ever been at center of a man's attention like that. Gisela slapped her hand playfully.

"My little Julia, growing up right before my eyes!"

"Shut up Gis," she hissed though a smile played at her lips.

"You're annoying with that," Gwendal murmured to Conrad.

"What ever do you mean?" Conrad looked at him with gentle eyes.

"Everyone knows you're looking at what's-her-name."

"Julia," Conrad supplied then blushed.

"Exactly," the taller man groused. "Stop acting like a sissy, you're starting to piss me off."

"Everything pisses you off."

"Always," he went back to eating his dinner, glaring at everyone.

Yuri and Wolfram were off in their own world, talking quietly to each other. No one could hear them at all; even Julia could not hear them with her extraordinary hearing. Although, almost everybody could see the light blushes on their faces as they whispered in each other's ears.

This got Gwendal even more pissed until a man burst through the doors with a loud wail.

"WOLFRAM! YURI!" He cried as he jumped on the two of them and hugged them. "WHEN I HEARD THAT YOU RETURNED I CAME BACK AS FAST I COULD FROM THE BIELEFELD LANDS!" He rubbed his face in between them and Gisela calmly put her napkin down then walked over to the mass of limbs that was on the floor. She landed a swift punch to the man's head and he wailed as he shot up.

Gwendal frowned deeply and Conrad worried if his mouth was going to fall off.

"MY OWN DAUGHTER! WHY!"

"FATHER! Calm yourself!" She roared. All was quiet as she looked at her father. "You WILL sit down! You WILL shut up! AND you WILL NOT disrupt ANYONE…ANYMORE!" She ordered. Gunter gulped at his daughter and nodded. She pointed to an empty seat. "SIT!" He sat down and hung his head. Gwendal had to commend the green haired woman on her performance.

"Mr. Conrad, Mr. Gwendal, this is my father, Gunter von Christ. He's an advisor to the Maoh."

The silver haired man looked at the two and blushed when his lavender eyes locked with fierce blue eyes. Those eyes narrowed and a glint of anger glossed over them. He looked away and at the plate of food placed before him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Conrad smiled at him. Gwendal grunted and Conrad gave him a warning look.

"Likewise Mr. Conrad," Gunter said cordially.

Dinner carried on peacefully after that and soon everyone went to their chambers. Wolfram grabbed Yuri's hand and dragged him to the room Yuri was assigned. Once they got there, he locked the doors and jumped on the bed and Yuri quickly followed him. The double black smiled at him and leaned down for a kiss. It was sweet and innocent. Wolfram sighed into it and Yuri carefully slipped his tongue into the blond's mouth. His arms wrapped around his waist and leaned him back. Wolfram wrapped his arms around Yuri's neck and moved his legs up. Yuri's hands traveled down to grab at his legs and hoisted them up over his shoulders. Wolfram groaned as Yuri adjusted him and ground down on him. Yuri moved onto his neck and sucked harshly on it, leaving a bright red mark.

"Yuri," Wolfram groaned as the double black ground down again. Yuri smirked against his neck and leaned back up.

"We should wait a bit longer."

"Yuri!" Wolfram sounded absolutely scandalized. "What the hell! You tease me and then say that! WIMP!" He punched Yuri in the arm and Yuri responded by grinding down sharply. Wolfram threw his back sharply and hit the pillow underneath him so hard it made a hard thump. A whimper escaped his throat as he bucked his hips.

"We really should wait," Yuri said casually as he continued to slowly thrust against the blond. Wolfram was moaning continuously. "We've only know each other for barely two weeks. And no," He began when he saw Wolfram about to say something. He thrust sharply, his erection hitting where Wolfram's puckered entrance would have been. "Our childhood that we can barely remember doesn't count." He leaned down and kissed the blond harshly.

Wolfram whimpered when he pulled back, "If you aren't going to do anything then stop teasing me!" He groaned. Yuri smiled.

"Okay!" He chirped and got off of the smaller male and dove under the sheets. Wolfram was left staring at the ornate ceiling wondering what the hell had just happened. He looked to where Yuri was and growled when he saw his lover seemingly asleep.

"I know you're awake!"

Conrad was outside in the gardens enjoying the night air. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Julia.

"Hello Conrad," Julia greeted as she sat down next to him.

Gisela was watching from nearby as she watched her friend and their guest chat. To her, she could see a wonderful romance budding. She giggled and ran back into the castle. Caught up in her excitement, she ran head first into Gwendal who was coming back from the baths. He growled at her.

"Sorry!" She squeaked. "I am _so_ sorry!" She blushed. Gwendal glared at her but continued on his way. Gisela looked at him as he walked down the hall, his long wet hair swaying back and forth. She then saw her father peek out of his room once Gwendal passed the door. He had a huge blush on his face and he looked to the other side and saw Gisela. She quirked an eyebrow and he popped back inside with a squeal. She smirked and went to his room and opened the door.

"What is this?" She teased.

"Shut up, how dare you speak to your father like that," he said, trying to sound authoritative. His daughter laughed in his face and he fell onto his bed.

"Honestly father, I know you've had your crushes, but at least you've known the guy for a few days before. You only met him two hours ago!" Gunter blushed once more.

"Everyone around here is venturing into their own little romances!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," she grabbed a chair and straddled it. "Mr. Conrad has been sneaking looks at Julia since they arrived and Wolfram and Yuri are in a relationship now."

"Little Wolfram and Innocent Yuri," Gunter gasped.

"Why isn't Wolfram innocent?"

"Don't you remember the pranks he used to play?"

"Right," Gisela nodded. "Well, yes, they've been in one for about a week now."

"I see."

"And now you and Mr. Gwendal, I feel like this is some horrible romance novel where everybody gets paired up within the first scene."

"That's what life is."

"Right," Gisela rolled her eyes.

"Where is Stoffell? Something had to have happened for Wolfram _and_ Yuri to return."

"Stoffell tried to kill Wolfram, dad." She ignored the gasp of shock. "Yuri saved Wolfram and they brought him back. Wolfram's going to do something to him to get revenge, but I don't know what it is specifically."

"So, he's in the dungeons."

"Yup."

"I see, at least order will be restored soon enough."

"Indeed."

The next few days passed by peacefully. Yuri and Wolfram grew closer, as did Julia and Conrad. Gwendal's mood had improved slightly, though no one but Conrad could really tell. Gunter was still lamenting over his new crush and Gisela laughed at his expense.

Stoffell had regained consciousness and in a couple days, he would be fully healed. Wolfram had begun training _for something_ though no one knew what. He had Yuri spent most of the day together in an old courtyard that no one used. By the end of the day, Wolfram would be too tired to even walk and Yuri could be seen cradling him and carrying him back to their room. Many rumors abounded from this. Many speculated that Wolfram was training to defeat Stoffell in a duel for revenge and as to the room sharing, they suggested that they were being intimate with each other before either achieved any power or were married.

Once Yuri carried a tired Wolfram back to their room, he was snickering. Wolfram was pouting. Yuri had to carry Wolfram only the first day but he insisted that he carry him back to their room. Once they got there, he dumped the blond onto the bed and kissed him. Wolfram instantly wrapped his arms around his lover and opened his mouth. Yuri's tongue pushed in and he felt the blond grin and hoisted him up into his lap roughly. The blond moaned happily and squealed as Yuri ground their erections together. He loved how Yuri was so rough with him in bed. Of course, this was as far as they ever went for while they recognized that the relationship was still in its infancy, they were horny teens.

Yuri grabbed Wolfram's manhood and pulled on it. The little one bucked sharply and threw his head back as a shout of ecstasy left him. He jammed a hand down Yuri's pants and grabbed his naked cock. Yuri groaned and rested his head on Wolfram's shoulder. They started to thrust against each other faster and harder. Wolfram could feel his orgasm approaching and began to whimper loudly. Those whimpers developed into shouts as Yuri began to thrust so sharply that Wolfram's hips began to hurt. Shortly after, Wolfram began shaking as he moaned and keened continuously. His orgasm ripped through him and left tears pouring down his cheeks. Yuri stiffened underneath him and groaned into his hair. Wolfram could feel his semen coating his hand that tightened on the thick cock. He took it out and made sure Yuri was watching when he licked it off. Yuri licked his lips then kissed Wolfram.

"Stop teasing me," he growled.

"I can't help it," Wolfram panted. They lay down together and drifted to sleep. When they woke up, they would bathe together.

Stoffell growled at the guard that brought him his food. His ankles were chained together. The stones embedded in them prohibited him from using his powers to free himself. He did not know why he was being fed so well. It was like they wanted him to be healthy for something. The next day, the guard came with three others. They entered the cell and unchained him from the wall and brought him to another room. A team of people was there and he was forced to bathe. His hair, which had become dingy and oily, was combed to its former state. His skin was washed of all smudge stains and a new set of clothes was laid out for him.

"What is this all for?" He asked one the guards, as he got dressed.

"It is upon the request of your nephew that this be done."

"What is he planning?"

"We cannot tell you."

Stoffell hissed at them and continued to dress. He was very suspicious of this and he had the sinking feeling that Wolfram was planning something relating to revenge.

Wolfram looked in the mirror. He took a deep breath and tilted his head to the side. Yuri was behind him, kissing him on the neck. He leaned against the strong chest and looked up into black eyes. He smiled and took another breath.

"I think I'm ready…" He trailed off.

"I know you are," Yuri encouraged. He tightened his grip on the small waist and kissed his cheek. "My Wolfram can do anything he wants to. I have faith he can do this."

Wolfram smiled and turned around to hug his oaf of a partner. Once they broke away, Wolfram grabbed the sword next to the vanity and strapped it on his waist.

Stoffell looked at the sword before him. "You expect me to duel Wolfram?"

"Yes," Gisela said. She did not want to be here, but any one else would have been too scared to talk to the former Prince Consort. "This is a duel of honor."

"What will happen if I win?"

Gisela's lips fell into a thin line as her eyes hardened. "You won't."

There was a large training courtyard where hundreds of on lookers could see what was happened from the external halls of the castle. It was packed all of the guards and help lined up to see the duel. Yuri, Conrad, Gwendal, Julia, Gisela and Gunter were lined up near the grounds. Wolfram stood in front of them, a determined look on his face as he glared at his uncle. Stoffell stood before him, his face carefully blank but his eyes were smug.

A gong chimed from a random direction, marking the beginning of the duel. Both drew their swords and Stoffell ran forward and brought his sword down. Wolfram anticipated it and brought sword up. He stepped to the side and threw his arm the opposite direction. Stoffell attacked again and sparks flew as the swords rubbed against each other. Wolfram almost lost his balance and stood on one leg. Thinking quickly, he spun on his one foot and landed a solid kick to Stoffell's jaw. The man stumbled back and growled. They began a fierce battle as their swords clashed together for five minutes nonstop. Stoffell swung his empty hand forward and a burst of air blew Wolfram back. Many cried foul and Yuri was tempted to interfere but he knew Wolfram needed to do this on his own.

Wolfram gasped to get some air back in his lungs. His hands clenched together and he snarled. If that was how this bastard wanted to play, fine with him. Sparks began to develop in his hands and he stood up. Those sparks exploded into orbs of flame that grew steadily. Two lions, each thrice the size of Wolfram himself, roared. Even the spectators on the highest floor could feel the heat. Stoffell gasped. He was not expecting this at all.

Wolfram unleashed them and they charged at the man. Unknown to him, Wolfram ran directly behind them. Stoffell used wind to deter them and the broke apart in an explosion of heat and color. He let his guard down for a moment, expecting to see a panting and exhausted Wolfram and his chance to slay the annoying pest. To his surprise, he felt a sudden force against him followed by a sharp pang of pain. He fell backwards due to the momentum of whatever him and he felt a rush of warmth on his chest. He looked up to see Wolfram on his chest. His knees were digging into his stomach but he paid that no mind. Instead, his eyes followed the long sword from the hilt to where its blade ended. He was surprised to find that it ended in his chest.

Blood was gushing out of the wound. It was not anywhere near his heart, so Wolfram had not meant to kill him right away. Wolfram's teeth were bared and gnashed together.

"I know how mother died. She had a piece of wood pierced through her chest. I know how father died. You backstabbed him like you did her and poisoned him. I want you to feel that pain. Over," he brought his face closer, "and over again." He shot up and yanked his sword out then drove it back in. He repeated that motion over and over again like he said he would. Stoffell could not even gasp for breath or make any other sound. Wolfram would not let him. By the time Wolfram recognized that Stoffell was dead, he had stabbed the man over one hundred and twenty times. The spectators watched in horror as the sweet- though sometimes troublesome- prince was transformed into some bloodthirsty monster.

Wolfram stepped back and dropped the sword. He turned towards those on the sidelines. Blood dripped his being and fell to the ground. His hair was soaked in it, turning it a sickly orange. His green eyes gleamed from his blood soaked face. Not an inch of pale skin could be seen through the red liquid. His formerly blue clothes were a ghastly purple. Yuri ran up to him and hugged him. Wolfram threw his arms around Yuri and cried into his shoulder. His body shook with sobs. Yuri shushed him and rubbed his back, not caring if he was getting blood all over him.

Julia could not stand to hear her foster-child cry nor could she stand the scent of blood. Her hand clenched around Conrad's and he rubbed her trembling hand in comfort. Gwendal stood stoically, somewhat awed by how unrecognizable to corpse was. Gunter was whimpering slightly as he had never seen Wolfram as someone capable of doing that. Gisela went over to the body to unnecessarily officially announce that he was dead.

Wolfram leaned against the side of the large bath as Yuri washed his back. The water around them was warm and comforting. Before they got into the bath, they spent almost an hour scrubbing Wolfram to get as much blood off of him as possible. Wolfram had not spoken much since then but Yuri wanted to change that.

"Wolf, you need to say something," he spun the blond around and hugged him. Small hands wrapped around him.

"I killed him."

"You did. It was to avenge your parents."

Wolfram whimpered, "I'm no better than he was." His eyes widened as Yuri shook his violently. The water sloshed around them wildly.

"NO! You _are_ better than him! You're so much better than him! Don't you ever say you're like that piece of shit!" Yuri said, glaring at him. Wolfram looked at him as Yuri's eyes searched his.

"You are much too good for me, Yuri," Wolfram said as he hugged him.

"No, I'm perfect for you," Yuri chuckled. Wolfram splashed him with water. Yuri laughed at that and Wolfram realized that he just made a stupid mistake.

**And so they lived happily ever after**

And so they lived happily ever after…kind of. Shortly after, the power of the kingdom shifted from the von Spitzweg-Bielefeld family to the Shibuya family.

Stoffell's body was taken out to the Dark Woods to decay for all eternity. It was said that even the darkest of shadows did not near the body nor did the light of day or the beams of the moon. The bugs that feasted on his flesh died instantly and even the dirt shied away from him.

Shinso was kept in an old room for the Kingdom's treasures. About three years later, he was destroyed with a magical incantation so that what had happen in Shin Makoku would never happen anywhere else.

Raven's body was long forgotten and it was rumored that where his body decomposed, phoenix lilies now grew. The small house had most of its things removed and taken to the castle and the house fell into disrepair.

Gwendal _eventually_ began noticing Gunter's attraction to him and the silver hair man strengthened his efforts to gain his attention. Out of annoyance and frustration, Gwendal acquiesced and allowed Gunter to enter a relationship with him. He found out that he rather liked being in a relationship.

Gunter was in heaven. He and Gwendal have been together for almost ten years. They were married about three years ago and were enjoying themselves. Gunter was happy to know that Gwendal and his daughter, Gisela, got along so well. Gisela, on a few occasions of extreme fatigue, had even called Gwendal 'father'. Soon enough, Gwendal had gotten used to it. Being in such a relationship with a demon had slowed down the aging process of Gwendal and so he had not aged in over eight years.

Gisela was happy to not be in a relationship. Years ago, when Wolfram was still young, she had realized that she was asexual and really did not care for being in a relationship. Nonetheless, she was extremely satisfied with her life. In terms of being a healer, she was recognized around the world due to her role in the Camalia Wars. She was enjoying her family life as well. Her father was happy with her step-father and she was thrilled when she got an amazing birthday present.

Gisela's amazing birthday present was a little brother. Gunter had given birth the year before they were married. Lyon von Christ-Voltaire had dark blue eyes and light gray hair that fell past his shoulders. He often harassed his older sister but his younger cousins were his favorite victims.

His younger cousins included Shosannah and Micel. They were Conrad and Julia's twins and were just beginning to walk. Shosannah had her father's light brown hair and her mother's bright blue eyes (they would have been had she not been blind since birth) but she was her mother's child. Micel was the spitting image of his father and followed his every move like a hawk.

Conrad also had the same effect as Gwendal. He had not aged for years now and he was grateful that he would now be able to spend a lot of time with his beloved family. He was known as the Lion of Guttenberg for his bravery in the Camalia Wars now. He was rather humble about the title and blushed whenever someone praised him for it.

Julia had retired from healing somewhat. She only worked in the infirmary when Gisela was backed up. Now she taught the children for most of the day and she found that she loved being a mother and a teacher. Her husband doted on her more now than ever as she was heavily pregnant with their third child. Lyon was one of her most difficult students, but she loved her nephew dearly. Her own children were too young to learn math or science but they were learning how to read at such an early age. No one really questioned her on _how_ she was teaching the children how to read. Her favorite student, and she felt a bit guilty about having a favorite, was Greta von Bielefeld-Shibuya.

Greta was Yuri and Wolfram's daughter. During the Camalia Wars, her home village was destroyed and the little toddler was orphaned. As both Wolfram and Yuri refused to sit in the capital while a war was going on, they were out with the troops and found the crying girl. They had refused to leave her and brought her home where she was then adopted. Already, signs of her aging had decreased dramatically and she looked to be only seven years old. She was very sweet and a bit of a troublemaker, but neither of her parents could be mad at her for long with her wide, long-lashed brown eyes and cute curly light brown hair.

Her mother, Wolfram, recovered from his ordeal of having to duel his uncle. He had furthered his relationship with Yuri and eventually they were married. He had taken over duties easily, having been groomed from birth apparently. He still had a rather nasty temper on him but raising Greta had softened him dramatically.

Yuri was much like Wolfram; he was extraordinarily happy in life in general. He had a loving wife and daughter and he figured that with all of the ups and downs in life so far, they were going to remain a happy family. Yuri was crowned the Maoh and two years later, he and Wolfram were married. The past year, they celebrated their ten-year anniversary.

The Camalia Wars were a series of wars involving two countries. Under a treaty, Shin Makoku was allied with one country. As such, they had to get involved. Yuri, Wolfram, Gisela, and Conrad had rode out with the troops. Gwendal and Gunter stayed behind to run the country and Julia stayed to hold down the fort, so to speak. They were involved in many of the bloodiest battles. One of which involved Conrad having to save over one hundred people from a useless, meaningless slaughter. It was said he had fought like a valiant lion in defending those people. After one battle, Gisela stayed awake three days in a row to heal over two thousand people, including her own healers (she had healed them first so she could have help healing the other two thousand). She had collapsed afterwards, but people were willing to overlook in order to commend her on her amazing work. Yuri and Wolfram had, of course, found their daughter in a destroyed village. The two monarchs were hailed as the best the Kingdom had ever seen as _both_ risked their lives _at the same time_ to fight alongside their own soldiers in one of the deadliest wars their world had ever seen.

Back at the castle, three years had past.

Greta laughed at Shosannah as she tried, and failed, to get her toy back from Lyon. She saw Lyon push the wobbly tot down and her joy turned to irritation. As the oldest, she felt it was her job to take care of all of her cousins.

"Lyon, stop being mean!" She growled as she yanked the toy away. She gave it back to Shosannah and kissed her forehead. "Here you go Sho."

Lyon pouted and glared at her, "I was just having _fun_."

"That's not fun and you know it. Now don't argue with me."

"Like I would want to!"

"Don't you sass me!"

"I'm not sassing you!"

"Don't you back sass me!"

"Don't tell me not to back sass you!"

"Don't tell me not to tell you not to back sass me!"

"Don't tell me not to tell you not the tell me not to back sass you because I _wasn't_ back sassing you!"

"Hey! Hey! BACK THAT SASS UP!" Greta shouted.

Lyon stomped his foot and stormed away. He was not going to argue when he was clearly in the right.

Greta picked up Shosannah and grabbed Micel. She took them inside to get some snacks and Lyon ended up following behind. On the way to the kitchens with her cousins, she saw her mother rush past with a quick greeting under his breath.

"What's going on with Uncle Wolfie?"

"I don't know," Greta said, looking back.

Wolfram saw his daughter and his niece and nephews and said hello to them, but he _really_ needed to see Yuri. He got to Yuri's office and opened the door.

"Yuri!" Said Maoh looked up and blinked in surprise.

"Is something wrong?"

"No-yes-no-no-yes," Wolfram shook his head and his blond locks fell into his eyes. He hugged Yuri from across the desk, "The test was positive."

Yuri's jaw dropped. "What?"

"It's positive!"

Gunter was walking down the hall to see his husband when he heard a sudden shout. It was followed by obnoxious laughter so he paid it no mind. When he found Gwendal, the man was taking a rare nap in their bedroom. Many of Lyon's toys were scattered around the room and Gunter chuckled at the scene it made.

He crawled into bed as well once the thought of taking a nap crossed his mind.

Julia found her way to the kitchen to find the children feasting on a large tray of fruits and vegetables. She could smell the sweet aroma of the fruits and the sauces served only with fresh vegetables.

"How are you all today?" She asked as her twins wobbled over to her.

"We're fine," Lyon grumbled.

"Now, now Lyon. Don't be such a grumpy goober like your father." Julia teased as she planted a kiss on his and Greta's heads. The little boy just frowned deeper. "Greta, your parents wish to speak to you in their room."

Greta nodded and wiped her mouth after she finished her juice and snack. She said farewell to everyone and made her way to her parents' bedroom. On the way, she passed her Uncle Conrad who looked a bit flustered. He gave her a quick hug and then went to join his wife in the kitchens with the other children.

Once Conrad got to the kitchens, he dragged his wife out into the hall and closed the doors. "Is it true?" He asked; his voice was serious.

Julia smiled softly and nodded. "It is, Gisela and I have tried it on various subjects. It works."

"But are you sure you want this?" Julia reached for Conrad's face and he placed her hand on his cheek.

"People have told me that you have brown hair and brown eyes and a kind face, but I don't know what brown looks like, I don't know what hair looks like nor do I know what eyes look like. This will be my chance to see you and our children and everyone else I love and everything around me finally. I'm positive!"

Conrad kissed her suddenly and nodded. He blushed when he realized she could not see it so he voiced his agreement. "Okay."

Yuri was embracing Wolfram on their bed, waiting for Greta to come in. When she did come in, she saw her parents looking at each other lovingly. Yuri was sitting up against the headboard and Wolfram was sprawled over him.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Greta said. She hoped it did not have to do with her argument with Lyon. She was known to get in trouble for her temper, no doubt something she picked up from her mother.

"SIT!" Wolfram chirped as he sat up. His beautiful smile calmed the little girl and she grinned as she launched herself on the ridiculously large bed.

"What did you guys want to tell me?"

Yuri smiled at her and pulled her in between himself and Wolfram. "You know that your mother and I have been trying to do something for a while, right?"

Greta was a bit confused but nodded. She knew her parents were trying something, but what, she had no clue.

"Well, we want to tell that we succeeded."

"Um…congrats," she said with a lilt in her voice.

Wolfram kissed her cheek and hugged her, "You're going to be a big sister in about seven months." Greta's mind went blank at this. After about two minutes, she was back to normal and started screaming and jumping around. A wild grin nearly split her face into two as she laughed with glee. Wolfram and Yuri were laughing as well, happy that their daughter was happy with the new addition to the family.

Several months later, two babies, two toddlers, and two children were roaming around the castle. Greta was a doting big sister to her black haired, green-eyed baby brother, Ramiennierre (or Rami for short). She had also taken it upon her self to be a guide for Micel and Shosannah in being good siblings to their sister, Roschelle. Lyon was happy being the youngest child in his part of the family. It meant he had all of Gisela's attention.

Wolfram was taking things easy. He had to give birth via C-Section due to unforeseen complications and he still was not strong enough to do many things, like train. Yuri made sure he was comfortable and moved around a little. This normally included going to and from the nursery and going to the gardens with the children.

Julia was also experiencing something new. After giving birth, she underwent the procedure that she and Gisela had concocted. Conrad feared it would not work but a quick rap to the head by Gisela told him not to _ever_ doubt their skills as healers. The operation was an extraordinary success. The first thing Julia ever saw was the face of her husband. Many tears were shed as she saw each of her children and everyone that made her family. She had some sensitivity to light, but they (both Gisela and Julia) predicted that that would vanish in due time.

Yes, things were certainly going well, if one did not include the constant squabbles that broke out among the children and couples that were entertainment to everyone else.

The End.


End file.
